BA in Psychology

Bachelor of Arts

The Psychology program is designed to guide the discovery of the student’s unique giftedness as it relates to his/her vocational call. While providing a foundational grasp of human behavior and mental processes, special attention will be given to how faith and theory translates into application as students consider graduate school options, entry level employment or ministry in related areas. Each course in the curriculum is intended to scaffold (build, construct) the learning experience toward a capstone in­ternship that will measure the ability of the student to apply concepts in a professional environment. Options open to graduates include the following:

General Psychology Concentration

Pre-Counseling Concentration

Research Concentration

GENERAL EDUCATION - 43 Credits

This course includes a brief review of ecology, biological chemistry, cellular structure and function, structure and physiological function of body systems, reproduction and development, genetics and disease. A weekly laboratory activity is designed to enhance the understanding of course material. This course is designed to meet the General Education requirement for science. (Lab fee)

This course is an introduction to statistics used in the behavioral sciences and in everyday life. Emphasis will be given to both conceptual and mathematical understanding of statistics. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be explored through simple statistical computations to more complex analysis. Students will be guided to be consumers of statistics by critically analyzing statistical findings.

This course is an introductory study of composition emphasizing writing as a process (prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing). Assignments in this course will focus on the different styles and uses of argument. Students will gain and refine skills of developing a thesis, organizing content, controlling tone, and expressing ideas in clearly communicated language. In addition, students will conduct library research and incorporate researched material into papers using APA format.

This course is an intermediate course designed to extend and refine students’ expository and creative writing experiences. Student writing will reflect university-level writing skills, such as principles of logical/critical thinking and reasoning, effective organization, APA research and documentation, and content-rich development of ideas.

Orientation is designed to help the student make adjustments to college life. The course acquaints the student with the library, counseling service, suggestions for study, and various aspects of college life.

Students who transfer to OCU may substitute any general education elective for this course when 30 hours or more of academic work has been completed at another college with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above.

A comprehensive survey of the field of psychology including a Christian perspective. Emphasis will be placed on theories of psychology and how you can apply what you have learned as a result of an appropriate understanding of a particular psychological foundation.

This course introduces the concept of worldview and provides a survey of the plurality worldviews that constitute western culture. Special attention will be paid to the Christian worldview and how competing worldviews both challenge and reinforce it. This course is meant to help students build an internal paradigm through which they can evaluate the bases of value statements in society, pop culture, politics, and religion and to do so from a Christian perspective.

A survey and introduction to the Old Testament focusing on the historical, cultural, religious and geographical setting of the ancient Near East as it brings to light the faith of Israel expressed in the Old Testament. A PREREQUISITE FOR ALL OTHER OLD TESTAMENT COURSES.

A general survey course in the New Testament. Special emphasis is on the historical background of the New Testament, the beginning of Christianity and the development of the apostolic church. A PREREQUISITE FOR ALL OTHER NEW TESTAMENT COURSES.

Class instruction in scriptural principles and methods in personal witnessing coupled with field experiences in soul winning is employed to equip the student to proclaim Christ on a person-to-person basis.

This course is designed to present the biblical and theological foundations upon which missions rests, provide an overview of missions history, promote an understanding of the world’s religions and prepare students to respond to God’s leading in their lives. Prerequisite of all 300 and 400 level MI courses.

A study of the first five books of the Old Testament with special emphasis upon historical backgrounds, beginnings of the Israelite nation, and Hebrew worship. Primary attention is given to outlines, analysis, and exposition of especially important sections.

A basic course in Bible doctrine with emphasis upon the Scriptural foundations. Includes a study of such doctrines as Man, God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, The Holy Life, the Ordinances, and Last Things.

GENERAL ELECTIVES - 9 Credits

Students must complete nine (9) hours of General Electives to fulfill the requirements for this program.

PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR - 30 Credits

PS114
Personal Awareness
3 credits

This course will strive to confront the aspiring counseling student with a way to measure personality preferences and temperament styles (among other constructs). It is hoped the gift of self-awareness, proposed as a prerequisite for efficient counseling skills, will emerge in the process. Use will be made of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Taylor Johnson Temperament Analysis plus several other instruments to attempt to document a student profile. Additionally, this course will provide the student exposure and insights to the field of psychology and its various entities and career possibilities.

This course examines the psychological and social processes that characterize effective leadership. The class will explore biblical leadership models and current leadership concepts and theories. Students will understand the positive and negative characteristics of leadership and the psychological principles of followership. The personal leadership and followership style of the individual student will be examined.

A holistic study of the individual in the total span of life from birth through senior adulthood. This course is designed to provide a foundation for understanding human personality. It describes the process of human growth and development, studies the needs in the major life states, and integrates the biblical perspective of human personality and development.

This course of study will attempt to thoroughly expose the student to the full scope of viewpoints about personality development. The goal in mind will be to see how best to analyze the dynamics of personality and how this can then be applied in the therapeutic process of counseling.

An intensive look at social group influences on individual behavior. Behavioral expressions such as aggression, prejudice, attitude changes, and affiliation are studied from the viewpoints of social science and Scripture.

Traditional and contemporary theories of psychology are examined and evaluated through the window of the biblical worldview. The connection between the discipline of psychological science and the discipline of Christian theology is examined.

This course represents an overview of research design. It will explain the different methods of research used in the social sciences, the appropriateness of conclusions derived from research, and the ability to generalize research appropriately based on particular research methods. In this course, students will also design and conduct basic research and disseminate the research to their peers.

This course is a capstone culmination of all previous courses by giving the student opportunity to learn in a supervised field experience. The process will include seminars, small group experiences, research papers, written verbatim work and lectures by professional resource persons. The settings may include, but not be limited to, prisons, mental health clinics, mental hospitals, general hospitals, and community and church related counseling centers.